HALTON'S Lib Dem MEP has slammed the Government for introducing automatic postal voting this year which he claims could mean a loss of the secret ballot.

Chris Davies has poured scorn on a Government decision to overrule a recommendation from the Electoral Commission not to bring the scheme in.

On Wednesday the Government announced the North West will be a pilot area for compulsory postal voting with Yorkshire and Humberside when the local and European elections take place on June 10.

Mr Davies claims problems could arise if forms could go missing or are picked up by the head of a household who may influence the rest of the family in how they vote.

He has accused ministers of sacrificing the secrecy of the ballot for the sake of a higher turnout.

He said: 'The North West is a huge region of 7m people, bigger than many EU countries.

'I have no doubt that ballot papers will go missing and that there will be a flood of complaints about people being deprived of their vote.

'In multi-occupied houses, ballot papers will lie scattered across the hall floor to be picked up by anyone, while in some households senior family members may exercise undue influence upon the way in which others cast their vote.

'It was a Liberal government in 1872 that introduced the secret ballot. It is a Labour Government 130 years later that is opening the door once again to widespread electoral fraud.'

He added: 'The existing rules allow every responsible person who wants to use their democratic vote the chance to do so.

'A higher turnout in an election is too great a price to pay for the loss of so many voters' right to secrecy.

'Automatic postal voting is designed solely for those too lazy to make the effort to behave like citizens in a democracy and make an annual visit to the polling station.'